New Treatment for Intestinal Infection

March 20, 2017

A new medication was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fight intestinal infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile. Zinplava (bezlotoxumab) is classified as a synthetic protein designed to neutralize the bacterial toxin and prevent damage to the lining of the large intestine. In two clinical trials, researchers found that the medication decreased the risk of recurrent infection by almost forty percent. The drug’s main side effects include nausea and diarrhea.

Clostridium difficile contaminates surfaces and equipment in the hospital and is transferred to people through hand-to-mouth contact. The infection usually occurs after a person has been on an antibiotic that destroys both the harmful and helpful bacteria living in the body. Clostridium difficile has the ability to overgrow in this environment and causes diarrhea and significant stomach pain.